Compressor pump



Nov. 18, 1930. E. BARNES 1,782,183

COMPRESSOR PUMP Filed Oct. 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG: I.

I N VEN TOR:

W TNESSES W FM M ATTORNEYS.

1930. E. L. BARNES 1,782,188

COMPRESSOR PUMP Filed Oct. 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W TNESSES I N VENTOR:

fiwjLf /A Eugen/a L Barnes,

4. By 5% g ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. '18, 1930 UNITED STATES EUGENE L. BARNES, F BUFFALO, NEWYORK COMPRESSOR PUMP Application filed October 19, 1926.

My invention relates to a centrifugal pump in which centrifugal force isutilized to discharge successive lobules of a liquid such as mercury,throug 1 a passage in such a way 5 as to carry with them successivequantities of the fluid which is to be pumped or compressed.

My invention is usefully adapted to the pumping and condensing of therefrigerating fluid in refrigerating apparatus, for the pump isnoiseless, efficient and compact, but it is capable of other adaptationsand uses.

I will describe my invention as adapted to the centrifugal propulsion ofsuccessive glob- 1 ules of mercury, but it must be understood that theinvention might be carried out with the use of some other suitableliquid.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown in its preferredembodiment,

as a unit in a refrigerating system.

Fig. I shows an axial sectional view of a compressor pump and itsdriving motor.

Fig. II is a transverse sectional view taken in accordance with thearrows II-II in Fig.

I; and

Fig. III is a-perspective view of the stator of the pump.

In Fig. I my invention is shown in connection with an electric motor andas assembled for use as the compression element in a refrigeratingsystem, and for this purpose the condensing coils surround the motor andpump, but such arrangement and combination are not essential to'myinvention.

The bowl shaped casing 1 surmounts the base 2. The rim of the casing hasa projecting flange 3. Within this casing the pump is contained. Abovethese parts is the electric motor 5, the cylindrical casing of whichrests on the flange 3 while the condenser coils 6 surround thestructure. The motor 5 rotates the central vertical shaft 7 which issupported within suitable bearings 23 and 24. To the lower end of thismotor shaft is keyed the rotor of the pump which comprises a flangedmember 8, an annular disk 9, and a cylindrical member 13. Members 8 and9 are secured together by the bolts 11 and have cut out from theircontacting surfaces a 09 series. of narrowing spiral passages 10 lead,-

Serial No. 142,543.

ing from the central hollow part of the rotor to its periphery. Thecylindrical member 13 of the rotor is attached to the member 9 by acorrespondingly flanged portion and circumferential bolts 12.

Within the hollow central portion of the cylindrical member 13 areradial vanes 14 formed upon the inner surface of the cylinder andextending inwardly towards the axis of the rotor. Above these vanes thecylindrical member is provided with a series of outlet ports 15intermediately positioned with relation to the vanes, there being anannular interval between the cylinder of the rotor with its ports andthe inner openings of the spiral passages 10. This annular interval isoccupied by the depending rim of the head of the stator' 16 which isshown in detail in Fig. III.

The stator is mounted axially within the rotor and in alignment with thevertical shaft 7. It is a hollow tube surmounted by a flared head whichsurrounds the hub of the flanged member 8 of the rotor forming with it anarrow annular passage 17, the purpose of which will be more fullydescribed. A series of ports 18 are located within the rim of the statorhead which ports when they coincide with those of the rotor and of thespiral passages 10 form a path for the flow of the liquid which iscontained within the pump.

The lower end of the stator communicates through its interior hollowportion with the low pressure refrigerant suction line 19 coupledthereto beneath the circumferential base 2.

The bowl of the pump is filled with a suitable liquid, preferablymercury, and when the pump is idle this liquid keeps the level shown inthe drawings, it being free to flow within the hollow cylindricalportion of the rotor; but this liquid does not completely fill the pumpcasing and above its level the pump chamber 40 serves as a reservoir forthe gaseous refrigerant which is to be pumped and compressed. This pumpchamber is in communication with the condenser coil 6 through theupreaching discharge pipe 22 by way of which compressed refrigerant maybe continually pumped to the condenser coils and there condensed.

The rotor bearing 21. consists of a ball race supported by the webbedframework 20 from the compressor casing 1 and this hearing keeps therotor in alignment with the stator 16 without the two coming in contactexcept for the close fitting of the depending rim of the stator againstthe upper cylindrical surface of the rotor whereby the ports of thelatter are successively opened and closed. \Vhen mercury is used as theliquid in the bowl of the pump it serves to lubricate this rotorbearing.

Additional bearings are provided at 23 and 24 for the motor shaft 7. Thelower shaft bearing 23 is provided with a sealed gland 25 to prevent theescape of refrigerant. Integral with the cover 31 of the compressorcasing 1, there is a cup-shaped projection 26 surrounding the motorshaft and ncasing the shaft bearing 23 and gland 25. In the annularspace between the member 26 and the shaft jomnal 27 is a ball race 23.Beneath this is a helical spring 28 anda washer 29 which serve tocompress the semi nonfrictional material 30 and washer 32 against thecap piece 33 thus forming a sealed gland. The material 30 is held inplace by a diaphragm 34 the outer edge of which is secured between thethreaded cap piece 33 and the correspondingly threaded member 26. Oil orother suitable lubricating substance may be used in the ball bearing 23within the cupshaped member 26.

The cylindrical frame 34 which surrounds the motor and pump casingsupports the condenser coils 6. High pressure refrigerant entering thecondenser coils through the pipe 22 is discharged under condensationthrough the pipe connection 35 to the reservoir 36 from which it may beled to the customary valve and expansion coils for refrigerationpurposes.

It being assumed that the compressor casing is filled with mercury, theoperation of the pump is as follows:

The rotor 13 revolves in accordance with the speed of the motor 5 andcauses mercury within its hollowed portion to be whirled by the vanes 14with resulting expulsion under centrifugal force through the rotor ports15. Inasmuch as the stator 16 is stationary. the flow of mercury isintercepted at intervalsas the ports 15 of the rotor are alternatelyopened and closed from communication with the ports 18 of the stator.The mercury is consequently disintegrated into globules or slugs whichare intermittently expelled through the spiral passages 10 undercentrifugal action. As each successive globule 1s expelled it draws withit a charge of refrigerant gas, the path of the gas being through thesuction line 19 andlthe hollow stator 16, from thence around therestricted passages 38 and 17 and eventually through the spiral passages10. Successive charges of refrigerant gas are thus drawn through theattenuated spiral passages 10 and-discharged with the slugs of mercuryinto the pump chamber.

This causes a graduzi building up of pres sure Within the pump chamber,there being an intermittent flow of mercury from the rotor to the pumpchamber 40. The space inside the rotor 13 being in communication withthe pump chamber 40 at its lower end, the pressure in the twocompartments is equalized.

When the machine stops mercury is prevented from flowing over into thesuction line 19 by means of the restricted annular passages 17 and 38.High pressure refrigerant is prevented from backing up in the suctionline by a check valve 37 located at the point where the suction linepasses through the base 2.

While the compressor pump is here illustrated and described as a unit ofa refrigerating system, it will be readily apparent that the compressorcan be utilized for numerous other purposes and I do not intend by thisdescription to confine its use to any particular purpose.

The spiral passages 10 are shaped as shown in Fig. II of the drawing forthe more ready movement and discharge of the mercury globules which passthrough them. As the sectional area of each spiralpassage diminishestowards the discharge end there is imparted to each mercury globule anincreasing resistance to any backward flow through it of the highpressure fluid into which it is being discharged.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a pump, a rotor with ahollow central portion communicating with a source of mercury, saidportion having a series of outlet ports, said rotor having a series ofpassages, the cross-sectional areas of which diminish outwardly,communicating'with said outlet ports and separated therefrom by anannular interval, a stator having an axial inlet communicating with asupply of fluid to be pumped and communicating with said annularinterval, and an annular ported portion within the interval aforesaidcooperating with said rot-or ports to intermittently expel bycentrifugal action globules of said mercury and charges of said fluid.

2. In a compressor, a casing, a tubularrotor rotatable within the casingabout a vertical axis and provided with discharge openings at its upperportion, a fixed partition member arranged outside of the rotor andconcentric therewith and provided with apertures aligning with thedischarge openings of the rotor during rotary motion of the rotor, anannular member arranged about the partition and provided with a passageexlid tending from the inside to the outside there'- of, said annularmember being in slightly spaced relationship with the partitionproviding a space Communicating with a low pressure supply of gas orvapor, a supply of liquid of high surface tension, such as mercury, inthe easing into which the lower end of the rotor depends, and means forimparting rotary motion to the liquid to centrifugally expel it throughthe discharge openings of the rotor, the apertures of the partition andthe passage in the annular member to carry therewith gas or vapor fromthe said space into the casing, said space being restricted whereby flowof the liquid therethrough is rormally prevented thereby checking flowof compressed gas or vapor from the casing to the low pressure supply.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Buffalo, N. Y.,this 16th day of October, 1926;

EUGENE L. BARNES.

